About Us
Our Philosophy
At the Trout Dancer Rod Company “hand made” is not a marketing term. Each culm of
bamboo is hand split into strips. This allows the cane to naturally eliminate weak spots and
maintain it’s true strength. Each strip is then planed to a sixty-degree bevel then reunited with
five of its brothers to be heat-treated. Later, these same six strips will be hand planed to the
final taper. All of this is very time consuming, but I feel that the end product is worth the effort.
I could do this quicker and maybe a little cheaper, but to me, the sacrifice is simply not worth
it. All twenty-four strips (in a 3/2 rod) come from the same culm of bamboo. This ensures
that each rod is truly unique; nature will not let me make two rods that are exactly alike.
The cork for the grip is hand selected from the best I can buy. The rings are then glued
together and turned down to the size and shape that you choose. The hardwood for the reel
seat spacer is turned down in my shop. If I am not happy with it’s appearance, it is replaced.
Some rod makers don’t put a lot of effort into the spacer selection, but I feel that it is a
concession to the beauty of the rod. I also turn down the nickel silver for the reel seat
hardware.
You won’t find an order form on my website. I want to talk with each potential customer to
determine the type of action desired. Some people feel that a faster action is more versatile,
while a slower action provides more feel. I want you to provide some input. That's the idea
behind a custom rod, you get what you want, not what someone else thinks that you want.
I will let you decide on the color(s) of your thread wraps within reason; after all, the rod is
going to have my name on it. Your choice of color may be dependant on whether you want
your rod blond or flamed.
I typically build three piece rods with a spare tip (3/2) because that is the way they were
traditionally made. Let’s face it tradition is a big part of the bamboo mystique. I build rods to
be fished. The type streams you generally fish and the type of flies that you generally cast, all
factor into the type of rod that will give you the most enjoyment. Let’s face it, the enjoyment
that you get from catching a trout on a rod built just for you, that pleasure, that thrill, that
beauty; isn’t that why we fish in the first place?
bamboo is hand split into strips. This allows the cane to naturally eliminate weak spots and
maintain it’s true strength. Each strip is then planed to a sixty-degree bevel then reunited with
five of its brothers to be heat-treated. Later, these same six strips will be hand planed to the
final taper. All of this is very time consuming, but I feel that the end product is worth the effort.
I could do this quicker and maybe a little cheaper, but to me, the sacrifice is simply not worth
it. All twenty-four strips (in a 3/2 rod) come from the same culm of bamboo. This ensures
that each rod is truly unique; nature will not let me make two rods that are exactly alike.
The cork for the grip is hand selected from the best I can buy. The rings are then glued
together and turned down to the size and shape that you choose. The hardwood for the reel
seat spacer is turned down in my shop. If I am not happy with it’s appearance, it is replaced.
Some rod makers don’t put a lot of effort into the spacer selection, but I feel that it is a
concession to the beauty of the rod. I also turn down the nickel silver for the reel seat
hardware.
You won’t find an order form on my website. I want to talk with each potential customer to
determine the type of action desired. Some people feel that a faster action is more versatile,
while a slower action provides more feel. I want you to provide some input. That's the idea
behind a custom rod, you get what you want, not what someone else thinks that you want.
I will let you decide on the color(s) of your thread wraps within reason; after all, the rod is
going to have my name on it. Your choice of color may be dependant on whether you want
your rod blond or flamed.
I typically build three piece rods with a spare tip (3/2) because that is the way they were
traditionally made. Let’s face it tradition is a big part of the bamboo mystique. I build rods to
be fished. The type streams you generally fish and the type of flies that you generally cast, all
factor into the type of rod that will give you the most enjoyment. Let’s face it, the enjoyment
that you get from catching a trout on a rod built just for you, that pleasure, that thrill, that
beauty; isn’t that why we fish in the first place?
Trout Dancer Rod Company
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Almost Heaven was made for Curtis Fleming,
host of The Fly Rod Chronicles with Curtis
Fleming. It is an eight foot rod for a five weight
line. It is a three piece rod with two tips, that is
darkly flamed. The dark blue wraps are tipped
with antique gold.
host of The Fly Rod Chronicles with Curtis
Fleming. It is an eight foot rod for a five weight
line. It is a three piece rod with two tips, that is
darkly flamed. The dark blue wraps are tipped
with antique gold.
I made Sixty-five Roses to benefit the Cystic
Fibrosis foundation. It was part of an
auction held in Atlanta in the spring of 2011.
Fibrosis foundation. It was part of an
auction held in Atlanta in the spring of 2011.
Shelby Jean is an 8', 6wt, three piece with two
tips. It is named after my Mother. The cane is
darkly flamed, and the dark blue wraps are
tipped with black.
tips. It is named after my Mother. The cane is
darkly flamed, and the dark blue wraps are
tipped with black.